Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

[edgaguirus]

I'd noticed the spots but never gave it much thought. I can see water damage effecting the suit.

[Lain Of The Wired]

^ Anguirus was falling apart at times, too. Just look at his face during the scene where he comes ashore;

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/god ... 0104201204

He looks like he's been hiding in a landfill for a couple years.

That's not the primary suit used for filming. This one was used specifically for water scenes, which didn't have a mechanically operated jaw like the other one.

That explains why his mouth literally didn't open a single bit when he roared during that scene...
I sat and re-watched this movie last night, and despite ALL the stock footage, I really enjoy this film! I don't have a problem going along with the fact that most of it doesn't fit, I just don't care.
I DO kinda dislike the fact that Ghidorah and Anguirus just stood around, doing nothing at all though during some scenes.

[eabaker]

I sat and re-watched this movie last night, and despite ALL the stock footage, I really enjoy this film! I don't have a problem going along with the fact that most of it doesn't fit, I just don't care.

Yeah, I've never seen the use of stock footage as a problem per se. They're using that footage to tell a new story, and they're telling it well; we gladly accept collage as a valid means of expression in other media.

[Mechagigan]

^ I'm fine with stock footage when it does something they would have done anyways, like Ghidorah's beams being used as Megalon's, or the shot of a tank melting. It gets the point that they're 'attacking' across, and that's it.

Stock footage that makes up entire scenes, though, just comes off as incredibly cheap and is usually very easy to spot (For example, the night and day issue in Ghidorah's scenes).

[Lain Of The Wired]

^ I'm fine with stock footage when it does something they would have done anyways, like Ghidorah's beams being used as Megalon's, or the shot of a tank melting. It gets the point that they're 'attacking' across, and that's it.

Stock footage that makes up entire scenes, though, just comes off as incredibly cheap and is usually very easy to spot (For example, the night and day issue in Ghidorah's scenes).

It just doesn't bother me. I'm able to watch it, and just go along with it. I see what you mean, believe me I do, and I'd love to have seen new footage used, but with what we got, none of it bothers me to the point where I'm taken out of the movie.
I find it not difficult at all to just "roll with it".

[eabaker]

Stock footage that makes up entire scenes, though, just comes off as incredibly cheap and is usually very easy to spot (For example, the night and day issue in Ghidorah's scenes).

Again, I make the comparison to collage, in which we're always aware that the pieces come from other sources. Not only does that awareness not disrupt our reading of the work, it informs it. And Godzilla vs. Gigan is a sufficiently deconstructionist work - it is very much a story about storytelling - that it's entirely possible to embrace the use of stock footage as thematically consistent with the work as a whole.

If you're looking for pure immersion/suspension of disbelief, then, sure, the use of stock footage is liable to be disruptive. But part of the movie's trick is telling a story that children can enjoy and engage with without paying attention to those kinds of details, while offering a playful take on the genre that adults can participate in without having to believe in the narrative.

Just to be clear, I'm not trying to say that you should enjoy the movie, or that you should view it through the same lens I do. I'm just trying to explain why, to me, the stock footage is not a problem.

[Goji]

The scenes lifted from Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster are what take me out of the movie the most, but I still adore this film, so it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. To me, anyway. I should probably note that as a kid, those scenes didn't bother me, even though I could tell they were from GTTHM, so like ebaker pointed out, it works for it's intended age group. It's probably Nakano's 'grossest' use of stock footage in any of the Godzilla films he worked on, but it doesn't hamper my enjoyment of the overall experience.

[GalacticPetey]

The scenes lifted from Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster are what take me out of the movie the most, but I still adore this film, so it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. To me, anyway. I should probably note that as a kid, those scenes didn't bother me, even though I could tell they were from GTTHM, so like ebaker pointed out, it works for it's intended age group. It's probably Nakano's 'grossest' use of stock footage in any of the Godzilla films he worked on, but it doesn't hamper my enjoyment of the overall experience.

I agree that the GTTHM footage takes me out the most. It also makes me wish I could be watching the Ghidorah in that movie as opposed to the seemingly static one in this movie.

[kamilleblu]

The scenes lifted from Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster are what take me out of the movie the most, but I still adore this film, so it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. To me, anyway. I should probably note that as a kid, those scenes didn't bother me, even though I could tell they were from GTTHM, so like ebaker pointed out, it works for it's intended age group. It's probably Nakano's 'grossest' use of stock footage in any of the Godzilla films he worked on, but it doesn't hamper my enjoyment of the overall experience.

I agree that the GTTHM footage takes me out the most. It also makes me wish I could be watching the Ghidorah in that movie as opposed to the seemingly static one in this movie.

Ghidorah had fallen on hard times. If you think he looks bad in Gigan, you'd hate to see his condition in Zone Fighter. I'm assuming Toho had been using the same suit since 1964. If so, it held up rather well all things considering.

The scenes from Ghidrah are so few there was almost no point including them. Less than two minutes at the most? Was it really that difficult to film Godzilla charging King Ghidorah?

[eabaker]

The scenes lifted from Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster are what take me out of the movie the most, but I still adore this film, so it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. To me, anyway. I should probably note that as a kid, those scenes didn't bother me, even though I could tell they were from GTTHM, so like ebaker pointed out, it works for it's intended age group. It's probably Nakano's 'grossest' use of stock footage in any of the Godzilla films he worked on, but it doesn't hamper my enjoyment of the overall experience.

I agree that the GTTHM footage takes me out the most. It also makes me wish I could be watching the Ghidorah in that movie as opposed to the seemingly static one in this movie.

Ghidorah had fallen on hard times. If you think he looks bad in Gigan, you'd hate to see his condition in Zone Fighter. I'm assuming Toho had been using the same suit since 1964. If so, it held up rather well all things considering.

The scenes from Ghidrah are so few there was almost no point including them. Less than two minutes at the most? Was it really that difficult to film Godzilla charging King Ghidorah?

I'm curious about the degree to which they chose stock footage to suit the needs of the fight vs. choreographing the fight based around the stock footage they knew they had available.

[GalacticPetey]

The scenes lifted from Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster are what take me out of the movie the most, but I still adore this film, so it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. To me, anyway. I should probably note that as a kid, those scenes didn't bother me, even though I could tell they were from GTTHM, so like ebaker pointed out, it works for it's intended age group. It's probably Nakano's 'grossest' use of stock footage in any of the Godzilla films he worked on, but it doesn't hamper my enjoyment of the overall experience.

I agree that the GTTHM footage takes me out the most. It also makes me wish I could be watching the Ghidorah in that movie as opposed to the seemingly static one in this movie.

Ghidorah had fallen on hard times. If you think he looks bad in Gigan, you'd hate to see his condition in Zone Fighter. I'm assuming Toho had been using the same suit since 1964. If so, it held up rather well all things considering.

The scenes from Ghidrah are so few there was almost no point including them. Less than two minutes at the most? Was it really that difficult to film Godzilla charging King Ghidorah?

I haven't seen Zone Fighter but I can't imagine he looks great there.

[Mr. Xeno]

I haven't seen Zone Fighter but I can't imagine he looks great there.

Shield your eyes!

[GalacticPetey]

Oh Ghiddy, what happened.

[Mechagigan]

I'm surprised they even used the suit at that point. Not even that groovy-ass battle music can hide how bad he looks

[ThunderScore]

[Radek]

Is there any information on the artist who provided manga drawings for the film? Would be fun to see some more of their work.

[Lain Of The Wired]

http://images.yuku.com/image/jpeg/3e826 ... 4edc62.jpg

That'd be a cool poster to own.

[daveblackeye15]

I'd love for a commentary of this since it had quite the history and it's really strange how crisp and clean it is mixed with stock footage. It's not a favorite but it has a lot of moments, plus Gigan, I love.

[LegendZilla]

Which movies was each soundtrack in the film derived from? Can anyone give me a rundown?

[Stevo_1985]

Turkatron. The robotic turkey from 9595, sent to save great great grandfather Goblox, the future leader of the turkey rebellion against the master chicken... I always loved Gigan. While the film is rather cringeworthy at times, I enjoy it. The Godzilla and Anguiras talking I find a bit unbarable. But for a giant cybernetic chicken I always thought he was a unique kaiju.